Harlan J. Berk has been named the American Numismatic Association’s 2011 Numismatist of the Year. Berk will receive his award on August 19 during the Awards Banquet at the ANA World’s Fair of Money in Chicago.

A hobby professional for over 45 years, Berk is the president of Harlan J. Berk, Ltd. in Chicago. He is recognized worldwide as an authority on ancient coins. Besides authoring more than 100 articles in various publications, he has published a number of books, including Roman Gold Coins of the Medieval World and Eastern Roman Successors of the Sestertius. In 2008 he authored 100 Greatest Ancient Coins, which the Numismatic Literary Guild named “Best Specialized Book” in the “World Coins” category. Harlan also contributed to Arthur and Ira Friedberg’s Gold Coins of the World.

Berk is also active in U.S. numismatics, beginning as a collector of early U.S. copper coins. When a doubled-die cent was found in circulation in 1995, he established a Professional Numismatists Guild (PNG) program to print and distribute tens of thousands of Lincoln Memorial cent “penny boards” to schoolchildren across the country. Berk served the PNG as secretary (1995-97), treasurer (1997- 99), vice president (1999-2001) and president (2001-03).

An ANA life member, Berk joined the Association in 1965. He was appointed chairman of the ANA’sDavid R. Cervin Ancient Coin Project in 2006, donating many of the coins the program awards to young participants. Berk has been a contributing editor for The Numismatist since the 1990s. He has received the ANA’s Presidential Award and Glenn Smedley Memorial Award, and was the winner of the 1996 and 1999 ANA World Series of Numismatics competition.

The American Numismatic Association is a congressionally chartered nonprofit educational organization dedicated to encouraging people to study and collect money and related items. The ANA helps its 30,000 members and the public discover and explore the world of money through its vast array of education and outreach programs, as well as its museum, library, publications, conventions and seminars. For more information, call 719-632-2646 or visit www.money.org.

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